How did my journalism and education careers shape my content writing style?

Content writing is a fancy name for writing good copy that sells and persuades. Its etymology comes from the Latin word "contentus," which means "to be satisfied."

Effective copy starts with two questions: "Why" and "How"?

As a content writer, my job is to create copy that drives engagement, create interest, incite curiosity, and produce results. Effective copy starts with two critical questions: Why and How?

As a former journalist, curiosity is like breathing…you cannot survive and thrive in that career without it. You must be curious about the world around you to dig beneath the surface, ask the right questions, and find the story begging to be told. Curiousness also involves taking an ordinary story or concept and refocusing it like a camera’s lens until you find the right angle.

In doing so, you have to be able to answer the question: Why? Why does it matter? Why should people care about it? Why is it relevant today? Only when you can answer those questions can you begin to do your due diligence, research, answer the questions, and formulate ideas and sentences. Whether you’re writing copy for a website, a social media post, or a blog, I always ask myself, “Why does it matter,” “Why am I writing this?” In this era of information overload, it’s more important than ever to write copy that will float to the top of the pile and that will get noticed without getting buried by superfluous information that no one will care about.

Once I answer “Why,” I put my teacher hat on and ask, “How”? How is what I am writing going to affect people? How can I make it relevant? How can I break complex topics into bite-size, reader-friendly content that my audience would want to read and act on? How can I cut through the chase and give my readers the necessary information? How can I repurpose this content to appeal to different demographics? It’s almost the same as creating lesson plans to appeal to learners of different styles; a good copy must appeal to consumers with various needs and wants. Some are adept at consuming visual information; others like to see it in print, while some are more tactile. How can I take the same copy and adapt it to various needs?

My career has shaped my content writing style. My training as a journalist drives my curiosity, while my career as an educator helps me refine that curiosity into a copy that satisfies my clients.